


Skydance (A House of Wayne-El Interlude)

by butterflyslinky



Series: The House of Wayne-El [3]
Category: DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 17:31:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13862517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflyslinky/pseuds/butterflyslinky
Summary: Barbara was eleven when she met Dick Grayson.She didn't know he would teach her to fly





	Skydance (A House of Wayne-El Interlude)

Barbara was eleven when she met Dick Grayson.

It was at the Wayne Gala, trying to act grown-up in her brand-new dress while following her father around as he talked about important adult things.

“Mr. Wayne,” Jim said. “Have you met my daughter, Barbara?”

“I had not, Commissioner,” Bruce said. “A pleasure, Miss Gordon…and this is my ward, Dick Grayson.”

He was about her age, perhaps a touch younger, and much smaller than she was, though he seemed to be going through a growth spurt. He smiled at her, blue eyes piercing and bright, and Barbara couldn’t help but smile back.

“Why don’t you children go play?” Jim said. “I know that this gala can’t be too interesting for you.” He turned back to discuss something with Bruce, and Barbara found herself standing awkwardly in front of Dick.

“Hi,” Dick said.

“Hi,” Barbara said back.

They were awkwardly quiet for a minute before Barbara spoke. “So, uh…how did you become Mr. Wayne’s ward?”

Dick looked highly uncomfortable. “My parents were murdered,” Dick said. “And Bruce was there, so he said I could come live with him.”

“I’m sorry,” Barbara said. “Can I ask when?”

“A few months ago,” Dick said. “I miss them a lot…but Bruce is nice.”

They were quiet again.

“So what do you like to do?” Dick asked.

“I dance,” Barbara said. “Ballet…you wouldn’t be interested.”

“I used to be an acrobat,” Dick said. “It’s similar.” He glanced at the dance floor. “Would you like to dance with me?”

Barbara hesitated. “Sure,” she said.

Dick was graceful, eager, and even though it was a bit awkward to dance with someone a head shorter than her, Barbara found she was enjoying it. Dick felt safe in a way that most boys her age didn’t, polite and friendly and unembarrassed to be seen dancing with a girl.

And everyone agreed, the photo in the Gotham Gazette was mostly just adorable.

*

Barbara was fifteen when she put on a suit modeled after Batman and took to the streets of Gotham.

She’d been watching for years, seeing her father so tired of all the bad in the city, seeing Batman and Robin help the people…and decided, why not her too?

The answer became clear very quickly. She had been tracking a thug, no one dangerous, just a low-life messenger. Barbara knew some fighting skills, her father had insisted, and she was confident she could take him on if she needed to.

But her trail lead her to a dock, and on the dock were several other men, and apparently she was not nearly as stealthy as she thought because as soon as they had arrived, all of them had turned with guns pointing at her.

“Come out with your hands up!” one of them called.

Barbara considered for a second before she stepped out, a bit sheepish, suddenly feeling very ridiculous in her Bat-costume.

The men on the docks seemed to think so too, because all of them started laughing when they saw her. “Halloween’s over, girly,” one of them said. “Run on home before you get hurt.”

Barbara did her best to glare. “You are under--!”

The man who had been speaking aimed his gun at her. “Seriously,” he said. “Get.”

Before Barbara could do anything, a Batarang flew out of the shadows. She turned, and Batman was leaping down into the middle of the group, already fighting. Barbara started to move in to help, but then a bright blur crossed her vision and Robin was down in the middle of them, moving too fast to be seen, throwing the criminals around like they were nothing. Barbara could only watch, stunned, as they quickly laid out the entire gang.

Batman felled the last of them and turned on her. “What were you doing?” he growled.

“I…”

“You almost got yourself killed!” he snapped. “And I don’t need every teenager with a hero complex getting themselves in trouble and distracting me!”

“Batman,” Robin said. “Don’t…”

“Stay out of this, Robin!” Batman snapped. “Go scan for Two-Face, he probably ran off while we were dealing with this lot.”

Robin sighed and flew up, off the ground. Barbara could only watch in wonder as he flew off, smooth and sure like he was Superman or something.

Batman kept glaring at her. “If you’re going to put on that suit, you’re going to learn what comes with it,” he said. “Now come on.”

She couldn’t argue with him. Instead she followed him back to the Batmobile, wondering what he would do with her.

Surprisingly, not much. They got in the car and Batman drove, listening to the police scanner and a communication radio, where Robin was barking off coordinates. Once Barbara had stopped shaking, she listened more closely with a slight frown on her face.

Because she knew that voice, she knew the cadence of Robin’s words. She’d heard them almost every day for the last four years, ever since Dick Grayson had started in her class at Gotham Academy.

She turned and studied Batman closely. She couldn’t see through his mask, but the frown on his face wasn’t entirely strange. She wondered if she should say something, should admit that she was close enough to guess.

After a few minutes, Barbara finally spoke. “What’s going to happen to me now?” she asked.

Batman spared a glance for her. “If you’re going to be out here getting in trouble, you’re going to learn to do it safely,” he said. “From now on, you find me when you come out. I’ll teach you what I can, and you’ll do as I tell you. Understood, Batgirl?”

Barbara nodded then bit her lip. “I suppose you want me to take off my mask at some point,” she said.

“No,” Batman said. “I don’t want you to do that. Because if I know who you are, I have to tell your father, and I think we’d both rather avoid that.”

Their eyes met for a moment and she nodded. “Thank you.”

*

Barbara was sixteen when Batman finally allowed her and Robin to go patrol without him. She knew it should have been longer, but Batman was preoccupied with something else and couldn’t spend his time swinging over Gotham without a clear destination in mind.

She’d kept quiet over the last year, never saying a word about what she suspected. With Batman, there was an unspoken understanding—they both knew the other’s secret, but they wouldn’t share it.

She had no such agreement with Robin. They didn’t talk about it at school, didn’t acknowledge each other any more than usual. She rarely worked with Robin anyway—she followed Batman on foot and across grappling hook lines while Robin flew above them, scouting ahead. She learned to fight at Batman’s side, using the strength and agility of a human, not the powers of…whatever Robin was.

But now Batman was needed elsewhere, so she was ziplining behind Robin, trying to keep up with his directions from the comm in her ear. Eventually, they reached the roof of Wayne Enterprises, the best place to keep watch over Gotham.

Barbara sat down on a ledge, breathing hard. Robin fluttered down next to her. He had grown, over the years, had passed her height, and it was nice to have him sitting where she could actually see him properly. They sat quietly for a moment before Barbara dared to speak.

“What’s wrong with Batman?” she asked. “He’s so worried lately…is there something big coming?”

Robin hesitated, then sighed. “No,” he said. “It’s already come.”

She blinked. “What?”

“Not a criminal,” Robin added hastily. “More…personal.” He took a moment. “You know Batman is my biological father, right?”

“I…no.” Barbara’s mind was whirling fast. If what she thought she knew about Batman and Robin was true…

“It’s a long story,” Robin said. “And I probably shouldn’t be telling it to you, but I trust you and I need to tell someone.”

“Why me?” Barbara asked. “Why do you trust me?”

“Because you’ve known our secret for a year and haven’t said a word,” Robin said. “Don’t think I don’t know you know…we see each other every day and you glance at me a little too long and I know what you’re thinking. But you haven’t told anyone who or what I am, even though you could gain a lot by doing so.”

“What would I get out of telling your secret?” Barbara asked. “I like you…and I don’t want you getting hurt.” She smiled wryly. “Besides, if I told anyone, Batman would find out and then he’d tell my dad what I’m doing, so we’re even.”

Robin laughed. “I guess that’s true,” he said. “But I do trust you.”

She nodded. “So…what about Batman being your dad is making him so scared?”

Robin shook himself a little. “Right…so Batman is my dad, and…you can probably figure out the other half by my powers.”

Barbara blinked. “That…doesn’t make sense,” she said. “They’re both male.”

“Kryptonians work differently,” Robin explained. “Apparently sex and gender have a completely different meaning to them…so here I am. And Batman and Superman have gotten back together and…well, I’ve got two baby brothers and the younger one isn’t doing very well.”

“Oh…” Barbara was surprised. Whenever she’d seen him out of uniform, he acted like nothing was wrong. “I mean…you mentioned something about them being together, but…”

“I couldn’t exactly broadcast at school that my parents had more kids,” he said. “I have no idea how they’re planning to explain it once they’re older, but for now…Batman needs to be at home.”

She nodded. “I understand that.”

Robin half-smiled, then jumped up. “So…since Batman’s not here, you want to be irresponsible and reckless?”

Barbara stood up, a smile creeping up. “In what way?” she asked.

Robin offered her his hands. “Do you want to fly with me?” he asked.

“Is it safe?”

“Do you trust me?”

Barbara blinked. “What?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Are you quoting Aladdin at me?”

He grinned. “If you’re lucky, I’ll sing.”

She took his hand. “Yes.”

He pulled her up before tossing her slightly and catching her in his arms. Barbara clung to his neck as he flew up over the city, higher than Barbara could even imagine. She looked down, over it all, seeing the lights and the silhouettes and she began to laugh as Robin flew her over the city, showing it all to her. In his arms, she felt safe. In his arms, she flew, and never wanted to look back.

*

Barbara was seventeen when Robin kissed her above the city.

They flew together most nights, barring any earth-shattering emergency. Barbara suspected Batman knew, but he didn’t say anything.

With every passing night, they grew bolder. With time, they had begun to experiment, to learn to trust each other more and more. Tonight, Barbara didn’t know what had happened, only that Robin had pulled her up by the hands and soon they were caught in a strange aerial dance, twisting and turning together. He could toss her up, or let go for bare moments, and she used his momentum to turn, to freefall, trusting he would catch her.

And he always did, grabbing her hands or flying beneath her before she fell. It was thrilling, beautiful, and Barbara had never felt lighter. She felt that she was the one flying, propelled by Robin’s strength and grace.

He had just caught her again when their eyes met, their masks hiding too many of their feelings, and Barbara couldn’t stand it anymore. They were high enough above the city that no one could possibly see them, no one who didn’t already know anyway, and she reached up and pulled her cowl back, letting him see her.

He hesitated a moment, then shifted enough that he could take his mask off, still clutching her around the waist. They stared at each other, the deep blue eyes of a Kryptonian boring straight into her, and then he kissed her.

And no matter how high they flew, no matter how far she fell before he caught her, none of it felt like this. Barbara wound her arms around Dick’s neck and kissed back, pouring every ounce of love and gratitude she could into it. He kept her close, so close, and they were spinning in the air or maybe that was just her, because she never wanted to let go, never wanted to come down, never wanted to be anywhere but in Dick Grayson’s arms, kissing him where no one could see.

But eventually, they broke apart. Dick stared at her, looking a bit shy. “Is this…okay?”

“Yes,” Barbara said. “More than okay...I want to stay here forever.”

He smiled and kissed her again, and it didn’t matter what came next, because right then, Barbara was exactly where she belonged.

*

Barbara was nineteen when Dick left Gotham.

There wasn’t any warning. He simply called her and announced he was moving to Bludhaven and would be by to see her that night. Barbara was shocked; surely nothing would tear Batman away from Gotham?

She waited for him at the top of the Gotham Police Department, her grappling hook ready to take her off across the city once they were done.

He flew up next to her a bare moment later. They sat there for a long moment before Dick spoke. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“For what?” Barbara asked.

“For leaving like this,” Dick said. “I…I’d like to stay, but I can’t stand it anymore.”

“Slow down, Dick,” she said. “You aren’t making sense.”

Dick took a breath. “My parents just broke up again,” he said. “It seems pretty permanent this time…Clark’s taken Conner back to Metropolis and reading between the lines, I don’t think he and Bruce are even on speaking terms anymore.”

“Oh.” Barbara took his hand. “Can I ask why?”

Dick shook his head. “Not my secret to tell,” he said. “And I know they wouldn’t thank me for spreading it around…even to you.”

She nodded. “Anything I can do?”

“Not really,” Dick said. “But…since I got the full story from Clark, I need to…not be around Bruce for a while. So I’ve turned in my Robin costume and I’m going to Bludhaven to start over.” He kissed her gently. “I promise I’ll be back to see you,” he said. “This isn’t the end.”

“No,” she said. “It’s not.” She moved closer, leaning into him. “I know you’ll come back,” she said. “Just don’t go after one of those pretty Bludhaven girls to replace me.”

“Never,” Dick promised. He kissed her again. “I love you, Batgirl.”

“I love you too.”

*

Barbara was twenty when she moved out of her father’s house. It wasn’t that she had to, or that she had a fight with him. She just felt it was time to spread her wings.

And Jim, who never asked Barbara too many questions, simply helped her pack and offered to lend her the first month’s rent until she had her next paycheck.

She had just finished settling in when there was a knock on the window. She smiled and opened it to let Nightwing inside.

He grinned and pulled off his mask as she locked the window again. “Heard you were on your own,” he said. “Thought you might like some company.”

“What, you think I’d be lonely after living alone for three hours?” she teased.

Dick smiled and wrapped his arms around her. “I’ve been lonely for the last year,” he confessed. “I mean, I see Clark and Tim and Conner sometimes, and there’s you, but…”

“I get it,” Barbara said. “I have to admit, having all this space to myself is a bit…”

“Yeah.” He kissed her gently. “Don’t suppose I could persuade you to leave Gotham?”

She shook her head. “Bruce still needs me here,” she said. “I mean, yeah, he has a new Robin, but…”

“Yeah.”

She kissed him again, a little more insistent. “Still,” she said. “New apartment…new headquarters for Batgirl, anyway. And Nightwing, if you’re ever working here overnight.”

Dick nodded. “It’ll be good for you,” he said. “Easier to keep things hidden from Jim.”

“Exactly.” They were kissing, over and over. “Would you like to…welcome me home?” Barbara breathed.

Dick hesitated. “I…I want to,” he confessed. “But…you know I’m not human.”

Barbara rolled her eyes. “Really?” she asked sarcastically. “I thought all humans could fly and I was the freak for needing you to hold me up.” She kissed him again. “Dick, I’m in love with you. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re human or Kryptonian or anything else. I love you and I want to be with you…if you want me, too.”

He nodded and let her pull him to her bed.

*

Barbara was twenty-two when Dick moved in with her. He would still be commuting to Bludhaven, but he could do that in a second if he needed to, and it was more important for him to be with her.

Apparently things had calmed down enough back at the manor that Dick could actually stand being in the city again, but Barbara didn’t care what the reason was. Dick was with her, a permanent fixture in her apartment, always there to keep her safe and warm and loved, and she couldn’t imagine being happier.

Of course, with him living with her, it meant their relationship out of costume was finally going to be public—there were pictures and videos of Nightwing and Batgirl above Gotham, mostly of their flying dances, but Barbara knew a few photos of their midair kisses were floating around. She knew that Batman shook his head at it, but she didn’t care. She and Dick were young and in love and free, and she didn’t care what anyone said.

And being public about their relationship…well, she couldn’t think of anything she’d like better.

It didn’t take him long to move everything in. He was used to packing light, a habit left over from his time at the circus, and it wasn’t like there was much extra space anyway. Just enough for one more person.

They stood in the middle of their living room, looking around. His costume was hung in the secret compartment of the closet next to hers, his equipment was stowed in another false drawer in the dresser, his possessions from his civilian life had found a place among her life. And it fit, all perfectly in place.

“Well,” Dick said. “I suppose that’s it.”

“Yeah,” Barbara said. “That’s it.”

He kissed her briefly. “Shall we suit up and go dancing?” he asked.

She smiled. “Of course,” she said. “If neither of your dads is going to come lecture us for being irresponsible.”

“Clark only did that once,” Dick said. “And that’s because there was something actually happening.”

“It only takes one disappointed frown from Superman to know you need to be careful,” she said.

“Careful is for cowards,” Dick said.

So they went, high above Gotham, high above any earthly troubles, beyond the point where anyone could see them.

Barbara found her momentum easily, turning in midair, trusting in the man flying around her. She was light, and free, and no matter how far she fell, she would never hit the ground.

He would never let her.


End file.
